The execution of justice is not always neutral. Unfortunately, racial discrimination remains deeply imbedded in the policies and practices of the justice system, and not merely a relic of the past. For example, minority youth are disproportionately affected with higher arrest and confinement rates than White youth. Experts identify this phenomenon as Disproportionate Minority Contact/Confinement (DMC). This is a widely recognized problem, one already given considerable attention by law…

On Wednesday, September 12, 2012, the San Francisco Police Commission met to discuss a range of issues, including the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD)'s faulty and problematic system of collecting arrest data. Recently highlighted by the Bay Citizen , San Francisco County is the only county of 58 in California that does not accurately report the arrests of Hispanic residents. CJCJ noted this data limitation in an April 2012 publication documenting a 40+ year pattern of racially…

In an era of Realignment, who should be involved in determining the local jurisdictions' implementation plans? Currently, this responsibility is maintained with the Community Corrections Partnerships (CCP) in each of California's 58 counties. The CCP is lead by the Chief Probation Officer and includes but is not limited to the District Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff and Chief of Police. There is one seat designated for a representative of a community-based organization serving formerly…

In the face of historic opposition to a statewide sentencing commission, San Francisco County established a local sentencing commission January 2012 to address the county's sentencing policies and practices. Twenty-two states across the U.S. have established sentencing commissions to assist in the development and administration of a fair justice system. Policy makers require strong data-analysis to inform the previous and future decisions centered on sentencing policies and practices. Data…

In California, local county jail bed space is not always for the guilty. Approximately 50,000 un-sentenced individuals are confined to the state's county jails, awaiting their time before a judge. A majority of these individuals are confined to local jails because they are not able to post bail . This contributes to the 71% state average of un-sentenced individuals in county jails. These individuals have not necessarily been deemed a flight-risk or a danger to society; they just lack the…

An article in the Bay Citizen today sheds much needed light on the importance and lack of accurate data collection in San Francisco. In particular, the article notes the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) underreports the arrests of Latino and Asian residents (the city's two largest minority groups) by misclassifying them at "white" or "other." These inaccuracies have significant repercussions that effect not only law enforcement, but policymakers, and local residents. For example in…

Counties across the state are facing unprecedented new challenges in their adult and juvenile criminal justice systems. Pressures are increasing on local systems due to adult corrections realignment under Assembly Bill 109 and unprecedented drops in federal funding for rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. California counties are responding to these challenges with a wide variety of responses. While county responses vary, one factor remains constant throughout the state: The…

The Red Rose Culinary Academy is an innovative program from Brothers for Change, Inc . Led by head chef Henry Howard, the program is designed to enable formerly incarcerated individuals to engage in vocational and academic training in the food industry, which will eventually lead to sustainable employment. The 16-week culinary arts course prepares students with the skills necessary to enter the food industry workforce upon graduation. Curriculum modules include a strong foundation in the…

Last Thursday, Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cárdenas traveled to San Francisco to meet leading juvenile justice policy experts from Northern California at the San Francisco State University Downtown Campus . Councilman Cárdenas is running unopposed this November in a new Congressional district in Los Angeles and will be sworn into office in January 2013 as one of California's newest members of Congress. Mr. Cárdenas was very explicit with the policy advocates that his number one issue…

Today CJCJ hosted a group of policy advocates, foundations, and LA City Councilman Tony Cárdenas for a roundtable discussion on state and federal juvenile justice reforms. Councilman Cárdenas has a strong record in juvenile justice policy with his passage of the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (Schiff-Cardenas Act) as a State Assemblyman in 2000 and his work on lifting the gang injunction in Los Angeles. The discussion focused on the intersection between efforts in Washington D.C. to…

The Sierra Health Foundation (SHF) in partnership with The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) and The California Endowment (TCE) has launched the first of its kind statewide Positive Youth Justice Initiative (PYJI). SHF is offering various invited counties throughout California the opportunity to collaboratively improve upon or develop wraparound services for cross-over youth, utilizing strengths-based approaches with an emphasis on trauma-informed care. SHF will provide awarded counties…

The San Francisco Sentencing Commission is a newly created advisory body charged with encouraging the development of criminal sentencing strategies that reduce recidivism, prioritize public safety and victim protection, emphasize fairness, employ evidence-based practices, and efficiently utilize San Francisco's criminal justice resources. The Commission will be chaired by the District Attorney's Office, and will be advisory to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors. On April 24, 2012, CJCJ's…

The Human Rights Commission hearing on the Human Rights Impact of the War on Drugs last week provided a broad spectrum of perspectives and information on how San Franciscans are affected by drug law enforcement. The hearing commenced with testimony from Alice Huffman, President of the California NAACP, who underlined the racially targeted history of the drug war, beginning in 1914 and including the 1920's failed prohibition of alcohol. Following, Dorsey Nunn, Executive Director of Legal…

On Thursday April 12, 2012, in City Hall room 416, at 5:30 pm , the San Francisco Human Rights Commission is holding a public hearing on The Human Rights Impact of the War on Drugs . CJCJ's Selena Teji will be providing testimony on "Racial Disparities in Drug Law Enforcement in San Francisco" alongside Professor William Armaline from San José State University. The hearing will also be televised on http://www.sfgovtv.org/ . This hearing is designed to solicit feedback from people who have…

This Thursday, April 12th, 2012 , residents of San Francisco will have an opportunity to discuss the impact of the war on drugs in the city and make recommendations as to what should be done to address it. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission is holding a public hearing on The Human Rights Impact of the War on Drugs in City Hall room 416, at 5:30 pm to discuss the impact of drug policy on the city's individuals and families. Interested members of the public are encouraged to attend…